


Becoming His Own Man

by almondjoyz



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, Fluff, Friendship, Post-Hogwarts, The Quidditch Pitch: Leaving Feast
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-07-25
Updated: 2006-07-25
Packaged: 2018-10-27 11:11:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10807884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/almondjoyz/pseuds/almondjoyz
Summary: The war is over. Voldemort is gone. What are Harry and Ron going to do now? enquiring minds want to know......





	Becoming His Own Man

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Annie, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Quidditch Pitch](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Quidditch_Pitch), which went offline in 2015 when the hosting expired, at a time I was not able to renew it. I contacted Open Doors, hoping to preserve the archive using an old backup, and began importing these works as an Open Doors-approved project in April 2017. Open Doors e-mailed all authors about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Quidditch Pitch collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thequidditchpitch/profile).

****POTTER DEFEATS DARK LORD!!!** **

__The Wizarding World at large breathed a collective sigh of relief yesterday when it was learned by Ministry officials that the evil wizard Voldemort was defeated and killed in battle by Harry Potter and a small group of friends on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Potter, age seventeen, first encountered the evil wizard at the tender age of one and was able to survive the_ Avada Kedavra _curse. It is still unknown how the boy survived at such a young age.__

 

_*******************_

  ** **Hogwarts to Reopen for Shortened Term****

__In an interview this morning with the_ Daily Prophet _, Hogwarts headmistress Minerva McGonagall announced that the school would reopen for students in years five through seven. The school year will be accelerated and students will complete the course work in a short four months. McGonagall made the announcement a mere two days after the revelation of Harry Potter’s victory.__

__

__“We believe,” stated McGonagall, “that the education of our youth must continue. Therefore, we are pleased to have students return. Younger students and their parents will receive correspondence courses via owl post as to not disturb their training. I would encourage all Wizarding families to allow their children to resume some sense of normalcy by returning to their studies.”_ _

 

_*******************_

  ** **Potter Not Returning to Hogwarts****

  _ _In a shocking announcement, Harry Potter, Saviour of the Wizarding World, will not be returning to Hogwarts to complete his magical education. This announcement was made shortly after Professor Minerva McGonagall announced the reopening of the school.__

__

__In his statement, Potter said, “While I am grateful for the enormous amount of support I have received in the last few days, I need to have some time by myself to clear my head and get on with my life. I would appreciate respect for my privacy and also for those I am close to.”_ _

 

_*******************_

__

  ** **Romance for Young Potter?****

  _ _It has been revealed that none other than young Harry Potter was spotted in Diagon Alley with a young lady. The two of them, it would appear, are rather close and were seen holding hands and gazing longingly into each other’s eyes. The young lady in question, one Ginevra Molly Weasley, will be returning to Hogwarts for her sixth year. Can the romance survive the separation? This reporter will be sure to keep an eye on the situation for all inquiring minds.__

__

__See page five for exclusive pictures of the happy (?) couple._ _

 

_*******************_

  ** **Harry Potter, Auror-in-Training****

****Ministry Pulling Strings for War Hero** **

  _ _What IS Harry Potter going to do?__

__

__Sources close to the Ministry for Magic have revealed that Mr. Potter has applied for admittance to the intense Auror Training program. While a natural for the position, it is thought that he is being given special treatment due to his status among Wizarding kind. This reporter, among others, feels that this favouritism to the Boy Who Lived goes a bit far, seeing as how the young man will not have the NEWT scores required for admittance to the programme._ _

__

__See page three for the strict requirements for the programme._ _

 

 

\-------------------

 Harry Potter threw the newspaper in the fire. He was tired of all the assumptions about his life and the invasions of his privacy that came along with being newsworthy. He fell down onto the settee in the sitting room and waited for Ron to come home.

 

He and Ron had moved into his house on Grimmauld Place soon after the end of the war, mostly for privacy, because not many people knew where it was. Besides, they’d got comfortable there during the time they used it as their headquarters while they tracked down the Horcruxes. It had been Unplottable for years, and this one reason made Harry like Sirius’ father. Harry enjoyed having his own place and was in the process of changing the house from a damp, unwelcoming place into one that he felt comfortable in. And that meant spending money, which, in Harry’s opinion, he had too much of. Ron argued that they could make due with the kitchen the way it was, but Harry had always been uncomfortable cooking with magic and wanted a Muggle kitchen. Since Harry was the primary cook of the two, and the one with the deed to the house, Ron had no choice but to go along with it.

 

He reflected on the numerous articles written about him in the past few weeks and found the interest in his future a bit disturbing. Yes, he wanted to be an Auror, but he wanted to earn it just as everyone else did. He allowed the waiving of his NEWTs but would not allow the Ministry to move him ahead in training. He was excited about the prospect of starting off on his own and making his own mark in life, something of his own choosing and not something that seemed to be predestined for him. He propped his feet up on the coffee table to think, as was his custom. 

 

Like Harry, Ron did not return to Hogwarts, much to the dismay of Mrs. Weasley. Ron put up a valiant fight against his mother and to their mutual surprise won. The only caveat was that he had to have four meals a week at home and let his mother do his laundry. The latter part of the deal suited Ron just fine, since the boys’ first attempts to do laundry resulted in pink socks and shrunken boxer shorts for the two of them. Harry was grateful as well. 

 

The only thing Harry disliked about being on his own was the fact that the other two members of his little family weren’t here. Hermione, ever the studious witch, enthusiastically returned to school and threw herself into her class work. After years of annoying each other and pushing buttons, Ron and Hermione had finally decided to take the bull by the horns and admit their feelings while they were on the hunt for the Horcruxes with Harry. It was awkward for Harry to see the two of them fall in love and not have someone as well. But that was his own doing, now wasn’t it?

 

Ginny was at Hogwarts, too. She had become much more than what she was those few weeks together at Hogwarts and if Harry would have stopped being so bloody noble, she could have been on the whole journey with them. It would have been dangerous, but Harry would have realised the true meaning of the word ‘love’ much earlier than he did without her. When he finally knew how much he needed her, it took all the strength he had to stop trying to protect her. She was capable of handling any situation and proved it time and again. Since discovering this, Harry was well and truly head over heels in love, and that was just fine with him.

 

The papers were right, Harry had to admit, that it was difficult being apart. They were able to Floo call each other once a week and owls were frequent between them. The magic word hadn’t yet been spoken between them, but Harry knew. He’d never felt like this before and knew without a doubt that Ginny was the one for him. The only drawback of the situation was that next year, Ginny’s seventh year, would be an entire ten-month separation. Harry cringed as he thought of the possibilities. Closing his eyes, he snuggled down into the settee for a quick nap.

 

 

\-------------------

 

 Ron was tired. Tired of trying to explain to every witch and wizard he met that no, he wasn’t going back to Hogwarts, no, he wasn’t joining Harry in Auror training and yes, he was sane. He was tired of everyone pointing and staring at him as if he was a piece of meat. Although it was nice to have all the attention for once, Ron soon tired of people stopping him on the street. All Ron wanted was his own life and to make his own decisions. But what really tired Ron Weasley out right now was the simple fact that he had been put through his paces by Quidditch scouts, trying to fill team rosters now that the league was returning in the fall.

 

As he walked down the street toward the house he shared with Harry, he reflected on what had gone on that afternoon. He’d flown brilliantly on his new broom, a Comet 410 that Harry bought for him when Ron announced he was going to try out. Harry was the only one he told, and even though he was nearly bursting with excitement to tell Hermione, his brothers, ANYONE what he was up to, he wanted to get through the trials and have good news to share, rather than give them disappointing news if things didn’t work out.

 

His thoughts drifted to Hermione and how much he missed her already. She was thrilled to go back to Hogwarts and he hated disappointing her by not returning with her. School just didn’t interest him anymore and it would just be a waste of his parents’ money. OWL scores aside, Ron had a feeling his NEWTs wouldn’t get him much of anything in the long run. He didn’t want to have to rely on Hermione again for a passing grade and he knew that’s what would happen if he did go back. Ron smiled to himself as he realised that was one of his first very adult decisions. He liked that feeling and took that as a sign that it was the right one. 

 

When he was close enough to home, Ron ducked behind a large tree and Apparated to the entry hall of number twelve Grimmauld Place. It was quiet for the middle of the afternoon. Lately, he had come home to find Harry messing around down in the kitchen, making a clatter as he pulled the old cabinets from the wall. Ron shook his head at Harry’s latest project. Why Harry needed a Muggle kitchen was beyond reason. At least it kept them busy, and Ron did enjoy the physical nature of the demolition process. It felt good to rip things apart and not get into trouble for it. But the quiet of the afternoon was unnerving. Ron felt nervous when it was quiet; too many things happened when you lost yourself in the calmness of the day. Venturing forward into the sitting room, he found Harry curled up on the settee with a stupid smile on his face. Based on experience, Ron knew why Harry had that damned look on his face.

 

“Oi, Potter! Enough of that shite! Save it for some other time!”

 

Harry bolted up with his eyes wide and a tinge of pink encompassed his face. 

 

“That’s the third time I’ve caught you like that this week! God, go and snog her already!” Ron hated the image of Harry kissing his sister, but if that stopped Harry from embarrassing the both of them, it was worth it. Recently, Ron and Hermione elevated their relationship to a more physical level, and assuming that most blokes had the same addiction Ron did once they started doing that, he wanted Harry to delay that kind of gratification as long as possible.

 

“You mean you’re actually giving me permission? I’ll have to write this down for posterity, Ron. How far are you willing to let me go?” Harry smirked and got off the couch.

 

“Oh stuff it. You’re just lucky Easter weekend is coming up.” Ron saw Harry’s eyes light up and pointed his finger at his friend. “I’m watching you, Potter. Always watching.”

 

“So how’d it go? What teams were there?” The two of them walked down into the half-demolished kitchen and sat at the table near the fireplace. 

 

“Uh, pretty much all of them, Harry. The league dissolved for a year and a half, remember? Anyway, a few of them were looking for Keepers.”

 

“Yeah, which ones?” Harry asked. Ron’s favourite team was the Chudley Cannons, and Harry knew that Ron’s life would be fantastic if he could play for them and help bring back their long-gone glory.

 

“Tutshill, Appleby, Wimbourne, and uh, Puddlemere,” Ron sank back into the chair, looking disgusted with himself.

 

“Puddlemere? What happened to Wood?”

 

“Looks like he went to Portree in a trade. ‘Sides, it’s closer to Scotland for him. Cannons kept most of their roster.” Ron’s last remark was so soft, Harry barely heard it.

 

“So, how’d you do?” Harry moved to the edge of his seat waiting to hear Ron’s story.

 

“Well, it was bloody brilliant, to tell you the truth!” Ron’s face lit up and Harry hadn’t seen that much joy on his face since Hermione let him feel her up for the first time. “I was nervous to start with, you know, but then it all kind of came back to me, and that broom was wicked, Harry! I felt like it was tuned into every movement I made, like it was a part of me.” 

 

“Excellent!” Harry was thrilled for Ron. He deserved something like this, something that was his alone. Harry thought about playing professionally, but knew how Ron had his heart set on it. Years of friendship with Ron taught him that even though he had grown up significantly in the past few years, he was still insecure regarding his own abilities. “So when’s the next cut?”

 

“I’ll find out in a couple of days which teams want to take another look at me. I tell you, Harry, I can’t wait! This is something I’ve wanted my whole life, and it’s this close!” He held up his thumb and forefinger about an inch apart. 

 

“Well, then, let me buy you dinner. C’mon, let’s go!”

 

 

\-------------------

 

 “So what are we going to do today?”

 

“I don’t know. Same thing we’ve been doing for the past month and a half? We have this conversation every day, Harry.” Ron yawned.

 

“Well, you know, we could go spend some of Sirius’ money.”

 

“Harry, come on. You’re spending way too much the way it is with the kitchen and the drawing room. What more do you need?” 

 

“I want to buy a car,” Harry stated flatly.

 

“What did you just say?” Ron was flabbergasted. Harry never told him he wanted a car in all the years he’d known him. Ron’s run-in with the Ford Anglia was enough to turn him off Muggle transportation for life.

 

“A car. A bright red one with a CD player and ten speakers. A convertible would be nice, too.” Harry had a dreamy look in his eyes and Ron suddenly realised there were still some things he still didn’t know about him.

 

“What’s a CD player?” He thought he heard the expression either at Hermione’s house or from his dad, but he wasn’t sure.

 

“Be right back.” Harry went upstairs and grabbed a portable CD player from his room and a couple CDs in their jewel cases. He set the stereo on the table and opened the compartment, placing the CD inside.

 

“Hey, that can’t work here!” Ron HAD seen something like that before, at Hogwarts. Dean had one and he spent the majority of his free time messing with it, trying to get it to work.

 

“Flitwick taught me how to charm it to work with magic. Pretty easy spell, actually.” Harry tossed the plastic case to Ron, and watched him as he studied the sleeve.

 

“What group is this? I can’t make it out.”

 

“Def Leppard. Dudley listened to it and got me hooked. But don’t tell him that.”

 

“Hearing impaired cats? That’s a rather dumb name for a group.” Ron shook his head while Harry chuckled.

 

“Here. I’ll turn this song on while you read the lyrics.” Harry pressed a button and the gravely voice of the lead singer asked, _“ _Do you wanna get rocked_?”_ and the music pumped through the speakers.

 

As Ron listened to the words, Harry noticed his friend’s foot tapping to the beat and soon joined him.

 

“I’m confused here,” Ron told Harry, pointing the lyrics on the page.

 

Looking at the words, Harry smiled and nudged Ron in the ribs. “Read between the lines, Weasley.”

 

Ron reread the words and slowly began to smile. “’Let’s go all the way. Do it night and day.’ Yeah, that explains it. Look at this one…‘Love Bites’? A song about hickeys. Interesting.”

 

Harry laughed out loud. “So what do you think?”

 

“Reminds me of the last time Hermione and I did it.” Harry’s jaw dropped. “Oh fuck. I said that out loud, didn’t I?”

 

“You’re kidding, right? When did you do it?”

 

“Oh, hell.” Ron buried his face in his hand and shook his head. “Can I just Obliviate you now?”

 

“No way in hell am I letting that one go! So come on, tell me!” Harry looked like a little kid begging for a sweet from his mum. The goofy expression on his face made Ron laugh. “What’s so funny? I asked you a simple question, and you laugh at me. Let me live vicariously through you. Please?”

 

“God, shut up already!” Ron furrowed his brows, trying to decide how much to tell Harry. “Fine, just stop bouncing up and down like that, okay?”

 

“So? Out with it. I don’t need details. I just want to know how you managed to do it without me noticing.”

 

“We didn’t, Harry. It happened after you killed him. You were in St. Mungo’s and we were sitting around in my room just talking and eating ice cream. It just happened. But in all honesty, it was the best bloody thing I’ve ever done!” It was Ron’s turn to wear a stupid grin. 

 

“So you had ‘I’m-so-glad-we’re-alive’ sex then?” Harry’s smile was huge.

 

Ron nodded sheepishly. “Don’t tell her you know, all right? She’d kill me.”

 

“I won’t, Ron. She won’t kill you. She loves you too much.”

 

“So anyway, about the car. Are you serious?”

 

“Yeah.” Harry smiled again. “Let’s go. I have to stop at Gringotts.”

 

“You’re only seventeen. Are you sure they’re going to sell you one?” Ron still wasn’t quite convinced that this was the wisest course of action.

 

“With the amount of money I’ll have in hand they bloody well better sell me one.”

 

 

\-------------------

 

 Harry sat in front of the fire, staring at the redhead in front of him. They’d been apart for only two months and it seemed like two years. They’d been on the Floo call for about twenty minutes when Hermione stepped up and he told them both about the car.

 

“Harry, you didn’t! That’s brilliant!” Ginny’s tired look quickly vanished and she looked more alive, more beautiful than she had in ages.

 

“And when exactly did you learn how to drive?” Hermione always had to ruin his fun.

 

“Didn’t I tell you that Vernon dragged me along on the few occasions he took Dudders out for a lesson? I’m a bit quicker study than Pork Boy,” Harry chuckled.

 

“What colour is it?” When Harry bought the car, there was only one colour he had in mind.

 

“Red.” Ginny beamed at him. “Remus is making some adjustments for me.” He still stared at Ginny.

 

“What kind of adjustments?” Hermione asked suspiciously.

 

“Uh, turning the moon roof into a convertible.”

 

“Oh cool! Is there a back seat?” Ginny could always read him like a book.

 

Harry cleared his throat. “Yeah,” he muttered hoping Hermione wouldn’t catch the meaning of Ginny’s question.

 

“Can we try it out?”

 

“Ginny!” Harry and Ginny laughed at Hermione’s response.

 

“Hermione,” Harry began, “Ron’s been trying to perfect his Enlargement Charms since I got it.” He shook his head as Hermione turned red.

 

“So are you meeting us at the station?” Ginny asked.

 

“Actually, Gin, we’re driving to The Burrow from the station.” He saw her expression deflate before his eyes.

 

“That’ll take forever, Harry!”

 

“Um, actually, Remus is working on that, too.” That grabbed Hermione’s attention.

 

“So now he’s your personal mechanic? Harry, come on. Leave him alone!”

 

“Well, he needs something to pass the time while Tonks is away. He’s the one who offered.” Harry was thankful for the time he got to spend with one of his father’s friends. While they worked on the spells for the car together, they chatted about Harry’s parents and their days at Hogwarts. While the older man had tried valiantly to get Harry to return to school, Harry was resolute. He had done what he had to do and wanted to make it on his own terms.

 

“I still can’t believe they eloped,” Ginny said wistfully. She was a closet romantic; Harry found that endearing about her.

 

“I can. He deserves some happiness.” Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks escaped Great Britain for a quick trip to Las Vegas in the States a month ago. In Harry’s opinion, it was the smartest thing the two of them had ever done. Granted, Tonks, in her infinite wisdom, forgot to tell her boss she was taking a few days off and managed to wind up in a heap of trouble, especially so soon after the war. “She’s been busy all the time with work and they don’t see each other much now. Oh, he’s working on getting rid of Mrs. Black for me, too.”

 

“Wonderful!” Ginny clapped her hands like a little kid. “That old bat’s got to be driving you crazy by now.”

 

“Well, I’ve sort of learned to tune her out. Ron’s still arguing with her, though.”

 

“So,” Hermione piped in, “you’re really determined to live there now?”

 

Harry nodded emphatically. “I’ve got plans for the place. I’m turning the drawing room into my bedroom and Ron’s helping me tear out the kitchen cabinets. I need to add some life to this place.”

 

“By the way, where is Ron?” Harry shifted uncomfortably on the floor in front of the fireplace. “If he’s not there, what else is he doing?”

 

“Hermione, don’t start. He’s following a lead.”

 

“Honestly, what’s he up to now?” Hermione looked like she was losing her patience.

 

“Uh, Harry, I’ll see you on Friday, alright?” Ginny leaned in and blew him a kiss before leaving the common room.

 

“Please stop hounding him, Hermione. He’s got a plan, you know.” He hated the fact that Hermione always tried to run Ron’s life. How the bloke put up with her sometimes was beyond him.

 

“And what kind of plan is it?”

 

“Stop mothering him. You’re his girlfriend, remember?” He put out a hand before she could retort back at him. “He’s grown up a lot, Hermione. Let him do things on his own. He’s always had you or his mum breathing down his neck, so just leave him alone.”

 

“Well, I was just…”

 

“No, you were trying to turn him into you.” Harry would never forget the row Ron and Hermione had when Ron told her he wouldn’t be going back to Hogwarts. 

 

“Harry…”  
  
“Hermione, that’s enough! You say you love him… I know you do, so please just drop it and let him do things his own way.” Harry furrowed his brow as he spoke to his friend. “You’re not here to see all the changes he’s gone through. It’s done him a world of good to get away from home.”

 

“And me, too.” Hermione sniffed and Harry saw tears in her eyes.

 

“No,” he reassured her, “he misses you like hell. I hear it every night.” Harry grinned devilishly at her.

 

“Harry!”

 

“Well, it’s true, you know. And please help him with his Silencing Charms, okay?”

 

 

\-------------------

 

 “Harry Potter! What in the world is THAT?” Molly Weasley stared incredulously at Harry and Ron as she emerged from The Burrow, towel in hand. Harry helped Ginny and Hermione out of the backseat before they were enveloped by Ron’s mother in a big bear hug.

 

“It’s a car, Mum. You know, four wheels, steering wheel. Muggles use it rather than brooms.” Ron rolled his eyes as he spoke and received a swat with the dish towel.

 

“It’s mine, Mrs. Weasley. I just spent some money.” Harry began preparing himself for the speech that would follow.

 

“Well, don’t you think you should have spent it on something more practical and sensible? I mean the house is one thing, Harry, but you really don’t need a car,” Mrs. Weasley reminded him. That was a new approach for the woman, Harry had to admit to himself.

 

“Well, did Sirius really need a flying motorcycle? When was he ever sensible?” Harry almost didn’t recognise the sound of his own voice. 

 

“Harry, I was just…”

 

“Give it a rest, Mum. He’s not your son,” Ron interrupted. Harry smirked at his friend’s comment and found it slightly ironic that Ron was throwing himself in front of Harry yet again. It was Ron’s turn to battle Mrs. Weasley.

 

“So, Ronald. What have you been up to lately? I have a right to know what’s going on with you, don’t I?”

 

Harry noticed Ron was trying to control his temper while also trying to withhold information he desperately wanted to tell his family. As conflicted as Ron was, Harry knew that he’d either fold or blow up. Harry was betting on a blow up.

 

“You’ll just find something wrong with it. Or say that it’s not sensible and be disappointed in me.” Ron began to walk toward the house with his head down and his tail tucked figuratively between his legs. However, his mother stopped him and whirled him around and looked him straight in the eye.

 

“Ronald Bilius Weasley, I’m surprised at you. I thought you knew me better than that. You are my son and I love you no matter what you do. I’m proud of the young man you’ve become.” She took Ron’s hand, held it tenderly, and placed her other hand on his cheek, turning his face to hers. “When you were gone with Harry and Hermione, I realised how much I was pushing you. You are so different than any of your brothers and I’m so sorry I compared you to them or made you feel as if you had to be someone you aren’t.” She paused and took a deep breath. Harry noticed she was trying to hold back her tears. “You remind me so much of my own brothers; brave, loyal, determined, and bull-headed. That really frightened me because I lost them doing the same thing you were out doing. But here you are, all grown up and no longer my little boy.” She began to cry and hastily wiped her eyes with the damp dishtowel.

 

“Mum…” Ron put one of his hands on her shoulder, getting uncomfortable at her remark.

 

“Oh don’t fret, dear. I’m through being the pushy mother. Oh stop laughing at me, Ron.”

 

“Sorry, but I don’t think you can erase nearly thirty years of nosey with one sentence, Mum,” he informed her. “But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.” With a smile, he leaned forward, gave her a peck on the cheek, and began leading her back to the house.

 

“So are you going to tell your dear old mother what you’re up to or not?” Ron stopped just feet from the door of The Burrow and turned around to face her and the others, a serious look on his face. “I’m just curious. You’ve been so mysterious lately.”

 

Ron’s gaze met Harry’s, as if Ron was asking, ‘Help me out here, mate.’ Harry thought about making up an excuse, but wouldn’t let Ron get away that easily. He was tired of keeping Ron's secret. ”Sorry, Ron. I think you should tell them.” All eyes turned toward Ron and Harry swore he could literally see the wheels turning him Ron’s head.

 

“Ron?” Hermione asked, her eyes searching out his.

 

“Madethefinalcutforkeeperforpuddlemere,” he muttered and turned around to enter his childhood home. Realization swept over the faces of the three ladies surrounding Harry, and they hurried into the house to get a better explanation.

 

“Ronnie?” Mrs. Weasley’s voice was an octave higher than normal in her excitement, the dishtowel clutched tightly to her chest.

 

“Ron…did I hear you, right?” Ginny asked as she glanced from Harry to Ron and back again.

 

Hermione, for once, was speechless.

 

Clearing his throat and taking a deep breath, Ron told them, “I’ve been trying out for Quidditch teams. I made the final cut for Puddlemere.” Hermione, Ginny and his mother enveloped Ron in their embrace as three pairs of arms wrapped around him. 

 

“Hey, hey, that’s enough! You’re making me claustrophobic…” Ron shimmied his way out of their embrace. Harry had to smile at the way Ron was glowing in the adoration. It was about time Ron got the glory and Harry was more than happy to fade into the background.

 

 

*******************

__

  ** **War Hero Becomes Pro Keeper!****

__

   
 _ _In a startling move, Puddlemere United, the Quidditch powerhouse of the league, announced yesterday afternoon that none other than Ron Weasley, hero of the war against Voldemort, has just signed a contract to be the team’s new starting Keeper. Weasley, a young strapping lad of six-foot-three, is bound to be an integral part of the team’s re-emergence in the newly re-formed Quidditch league and replaces fellow Gryffindor Keeper, Oliver Wood, who was traded to Portree earlier in the year.__

__

__Advance ticket sales for Puddlemere United skyrocketed after the announcement was made public. According to team general manger Agustus Heliotrope, the majority of sales went to female fans. “Ron was recruited and signed for his skills on the Quidditch pitch. His looks and marketability are merely an added bonus.”_ _

 

*******************

  ** **Weasley Causes Ruckus in Diagon Alley****

 

__

__It was a madhouse in Diagon Alley yesterday as new Puddlemere Keeper Ron Weasley stopped by Quality Quidditch Supplies. Fans, male and female alike, mobbed the new star of the Quidditch world as he bought gloves and shin guards with his long-time friends Neville Longbottom and Harry Potter._ _

 

*******************

__

  ** **Did You Hear the Hearts Break?****

 

__

__Hearts are breaking throughout Wizarding Britain. Hunky Puddlemere Keeper Ron Weasley was photographed at Kings’ Cross kissing Hogwarts’ top young witch, Hermione Granger, as she stepped off the train after completing the strenuous four month session. It had been rumoured that the two had been involved for some time, but the relationship had never been confirmed until yesterday. One has to wonder if ticket sales for Puddlemere will slow down due to this recent development._ _

__

__It also appears that Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley survived the separation as well. Potter and Weasley were spotted snogging on Platform 9 ¾ alongside her older brother. Harry Potter, once he realised the attention he was getting, nearly attacked the photographers. It looks like someone is a bit camera shy…_ _

__

__For pictures, see page three._ _


End file.
